Jet airplanes commonly fly over populated areas. Some portions of these flights are at low altitude, such as during takeoff, landing, and flyovers. Noise from these low altitude operations of jet airplanes may be objectionable to some residents of such populated areas. Noise from jet airplanes is commonly associated with the jet engines of the aircraft. Modern advances in aircraft, however, have significantly reduced the noise of jet engines.
Noise is also generated by other components interacting with the atmosphere, such as flaps and landing gear. A traditional landing gear assembly includes an array of parabolic headlamps that are fixed for common rotation with the front wheel of the landing gear. Such common rotation is provided to illuminate the direction in which the aircraft will be directed by the front wheel. These parabolic headlamps often have bulky shapes that generate airframe noise during takeoffs, landings, and flyovers. Furthermore, the need for electrical connections that accommodate rotation of the headlamps increases the complexity of the landing gear assemblies.
As such, it is desirable to provide lighting assemblies for aircraft with reduced complexity and less airframe noise than conventional parabolic headlamps on landing gear assemblies. In addition, other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent summary and detailed description, and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background.